Re: [bug?] tg3: Failed to load firmware "tigon/tg3_tso.bin"

David Woodhouse
2008-07-05T12:16:06Z

On Sat, 2008-07-05 at 14:09 +0200, Andi Kleen wrote:
> Olivier Galibert wrote:
> > On Sat, Jul 05, 2008 at 01:22:20PM +0200, Andi Kleen wrote:
> >> Many distribution have some way for separate kernel module packages.
> >> It's essentially the same problem so it should be already solved
> >> in some way.
> >
> > Errr, no. Modules go in /lib/modules/`uname -r`, so no conflict.
>
> Well that's the only sane way to store the firmware anyways (otherwise
> you could never keep kernel versions which need different firmware installed)

It almost never happens that you have kernel versions which _need_
different firmware installed. In almost all cases, the older driver will
continue to work just fine with the newer firmware (and its bug-fixes).

The ABI between driver and firmware rarely changes in such a fashion
that you have to update the driver in lock-step -- and even on the
occasions that it does, it's not hard to simply change the name of the
"new-style" firmware so that it doesn't stomp on the old one (Think of
it like an soname).

--
dwmw2